'Barefoot in the Park' ready to open at Peoria Players

So can a marriage between two complete opposites work? In Neil Simon's world, at least as a playwright, yes it can once a few speed bumps are navigated.

The speed bumps he put into his classic comedy "Barefoot in the Park" when it debuted on Broadway 50 years ago are still relevant today, said Liz Landes Reed, who is directing the production at Peoria Players Theatre.

"The human element in this show is timeless, really. Some of...

Read more...

Knight: Time for HOI Fair to plan a better Grandstand lineup

Next summer's 65th annual Heart of Illinois Fair is scheduled for July 11-19, so now is the time that good planners should be hard at work booking talent so the fair's declining attendance doesn't result in a shutdown.

Besides amusements such as Woody's Menagerie's barnyard races and the Rainbo Cloggers, this year's performers included Matt Barber, Blackjack Billy, Dopestylez, Ariel Eilts, Chris Krause, Otherwise, Cathy Reynolds, Sevendust...

Read more...

'Evil Dead: The Musical' to open Corn Stock's winter season

Ingrid Peelle loves Halloween. She and her husband Brian have hosted themed Halloween parties in the past and she has been known to start making her own costume many months ahead of time.

It would seem, then, she was the logical choice to direct "Evil Dead: The Musical," the opening show of Corn Stock Theatre's winter season.

"I do...

Read more...

Frizzi: I Meet a Beatle! (by Charles Hawtrey and the Deaf Aids)

On September 21, the state of Illinois will dedicate a plaque in the town of Benton. The plaque commemorates the 50th anniversary of its own British Invasion. Gov. Pat Quinn has proclaimed that Saturday, "George Harrison Day".

Usually, such plaques commemorate a battle or skirmish involving, say, British troops and either the French or the revolutionaries, depending on what war was being fought at the time.

The particular plaque...

Read more...

Peoria Symphony ready to open 116th season

International champion Olga Kern will be at the piano Saturday when the Peoria Symphony Orchestra opens its 116th season at the Peoria Civic Center Theater.

The concert, titled "Power and Passion," begins at 8 p.m., following a pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. A reception follows the concert.

Kern, gold medalist in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, is recognized as one of her generation's greatest pianists. She will...

Read more...

Hard Charge Peoria is Sept. 28

If you can handle a four-mile obstacle course of unpredictable terrain and varied apparatuses, there is still time to register for Hard Charge Peoria.

The nationally televised Hard Charge series is coming to Three Sister Park in Chillicothe on Saturday, Sept. 28, with more than 20 obstacles for men and women. The obstacles have names like Angled Ambush, Jalopy Justice, Scale the Skins and Will Hill and one local fan of the show described...

Read more...

Fine Art Fair is this weekend

The 51st Annual Peoria Fine Art Fair, which recently was ranked among the top 100 art fairs in the United States, will be Saturday and Sunday on Peoria's Riverfront.

The fair will bring together the "eclectic artwork" of 150 national and international artists to the Midwest, with thousands expected to attend the event at The Gateway Building. The fair will...

Read more...

Frizzi Toon: Adding Syria to the mix

Read more...